Drive mechanism for tape facsimile apparatus



Oct. 16, 1951 R. G. THOMPSON DRIVE MECHANISM FOR TAPE FACSIMILEAPPARATUS Filed Sept. 17, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Oct. 16, 1951 R G T P2,571,785

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR TAPE FACSIMILE; APPARATUS Filed Sept. 17, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 RUSSELL 5. THU/7 50M 9% INVENTOK M 13) a I i PatentedOct. 16, 1951 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR TAPE FACSIMILE APPARATUS Russell G.Thompson, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company,Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 17,1949, Serial No. 116,310

4 Claims.

This invention relates to facsimile apparatus and more particularly toapparatus including in one machine pick-up and recording scanningdevices together with associated mechanism for local reproduction ofgraphic subject matter.

In such facsimile apparatus and particularly that of the continuous taperecording type certain different portions of the mechanism shouldoperate in an invariable relation while other certain portions shouldoperate in a definite but adjustable relation so as to make it possibleto regulate the apparatus for superior results.

The primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this kindwhich shall combine suitable driving arrangements for the scanningdevices and for the feeding devices in an efficient assembly whichcontributes to both simplicity and operating quality.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the moving parts of a tape facsimileapparatus incorporating the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 showing the partsdetermining the paths of the two continuous strips employed in recordmg.

In order that the utility of the driving arrangement may be readilyappreciated, a general description of the overall functioning of theapparatus will first be given with primary reference to Fig. 1, althoughlike parts shown in Fig. 2 are given like reference characters. Thepreferred embodiment to be described in detail is of the general type ofthe apparatus disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 22,683,filed April 22, 1948, now Patent No. 2,529,978, granted November 14,1950, and is useful in recording along the length of a tape subjectmatter contained on a series of discrete documents such as businesscards.

As shown in Fig. 1 a transmitter scanning member I and a recorderscanning member II are mounted for synchronous operation on a shaft I2adapted to be rotated at a high speed by a motor I3 through a belt I4.As is fully described in an application Serial No. 116,360 filedconcurrently herewith by Clayton E. Hunt, Jr., the scanning member IDderives signals representative of the scansion values of differentportions of a document as it passes successively through two stationsand these signals are employed to actuate four recording devices I5, I6,

I1 and I8 distributed between two recording positions spaced around thecircumferences of the recording member II consistent with the manner thedocument is scanned by the member III. Instead of the scanningarrangement shown, the ordinary arrangement of a single transmitterscanner and a single recorder scanner may be employed.

The discrete documents to be scanned are assumed to be business cardsbearing printed addresses on approximately one half the length of eachcard so that successive cards may be fed with their leadin half lengthbearing the printed address overlapping the trailing half length of theimmediately preceding card. These cards I9 are fed sidewise from thebottom of a stack one at a time by pickers which are reciprocated byrocker arms 2| carried by a shaft 22 connected through cranks 23 and 24to be rotated back and forth by an eccentric 25 which rotates with ashaft 26 geared to a main drive shaft 21 through gears 28 and 29. Theshaft 26 is provided with two rollers 30 which cooperate with tworollers 3| driven through ears 32 and 33 by the shaft 26 to receive eachcard I9 moved into their bite by the pickers 20 and to discharge it onthe other side of the rollers 30 and 3|. The picker bars 20 have neartheir inner ends depressible pushers 34 which engage the trailing edgeof a card I9 as it leaves the rollers 30 and 3| and pushes it ontoaconveyer track 35 where the card I 9 is moved lengthwise by areciprocating member 36 to conveyor belts 31. The member 36 isreciprocated in synchronism with the pickers 20 and the pushers 34 by arocker arm 38 whose shaft 39 is geared to the rocker shaft 22.

The pushers 34 move the cards I9 sideways and the member 36 moves themlengthwise at approximately equal rates so that a card I9 has been movedby the member 36 and the belts 31 a distance equal to about half itslength when another card I9 is moved onto the conveyer track 35. It isthus apparent that the trailing half of each card is overlapped by theleading half of the next succeeding card as they travel along with theconveyor belts. 31. The two scanning stations mentioned above are spacedalong the path of travel of cards being moved by the conveyer belts 31so that they are scanned by the cylinder In prior to being dischargedtherefrom. The lower pair of conveyer belts 31 are driven by rollers 40mounted on the main drive shaft 21 while the upper pair of belts 31 aredriven by 3 rollers 4| connected to the main drive shaft 21 throughgears 42 and 43.

The handling of the recording media will first be described by referringto Fig. 2 where a paper tape 44 from a supply reel 45 passes over aguide roller 46, between a roller '31 and a spring pressed brakingmember 48, under a guide roller 49, upwardly between the recording helixII and the recorders l and I6 and over a stationary guide 55],downwardly between the recording helix and the recorders IT and I 8 andthrough a flying punch 5i which perforates it, thence looped over andunder heating lamps 52 by rollers 53, 54 and 55, the latter of'whichseats it on a sprocket drum 56, and then over an inspection guide plate51 to a takeup reel 58.

Carbon paper 59 in the form of a strip or ribbon moves from a supplyreel 69 in a path between the paper tape id and the recorders l5 and I6and between the paper tape it and the recorders. I? and I 8 .where.thecarbon material is: transferred. to" the paper tape. M .inaccordance.

with signals received by the several. recorders l5, l6; llandaitl.Thecarbon. strip 59 is guided through this path by. suitablezrollers 5!,62, 53 and 6.4 andto a drive roller fifiafterwhich the carbon. strip 59-travels over. a roller. 65. to a takeup reel 6?. The drive roller '35..draws the carbon strip 59;; from the supply reel 50 and throughitsintervening path at a speed considerably below the speed of the papertape M5 for reasons of economy. The. carbon strip supply reel 66 andalso the, paper'tape supply reel 45 are preferably. mounted so as tohave enough turning friction to place their respective stripsunderitension. Also the takeup reels 58 and 5? are preferably rotatedthrough suitable tendency drives. (notshown). to maintain theirrespective strips, under tension;

Still referring: to Fig. 2, the recorders. l5 and it mayconveniently bemounted in a housing B8- pivotally supported on the axisof the roller 52so-that the; housing 68 may be rotated to the position indicated inbroken lines to facilitate threading the two strips. Similarly, the.recorderslland l8; may be mounted in a housing'tt pivotally supported ontheaxis of-the rollerv 5 3.

The flying punch 5|, shown partly in section, has one end mounted on apivot pin l5 about which it .is'oscillated by a pin ll extending into aslot 12 and eccentrically mounted on a rotatable disc 13. The free endof the punch 5% has a longitudinal die aperture it through both walls ofa vertical recess through which the paper tape 44 passes. A punch member75 BXllGlldllflgll'ltQ the die aperture i i-is normally held out of thepath of the paper by a spring 78. The eccentric pin H I is heldcaptiveby the slot l2 so that upon rotation of the disc in a-clockwisedirection the pin "H oscillates the arm5l and'at its. :rtreme positionin the slot it! engages the punch member 75 to force it through thepaper tape Kit. The speed of rotation of the disc 13 is such that duringthe short period of the punching operation the end of the arm.5l

has substantially the same speed and-direction of movement as that ofthe paper tape d l Referring back to Fig. I, it will be noted that themain drive shaft 27 which drives the com-- plete card feedmechanism-extendsthrough a gear box El and carries at its other end agear 13' which through suitable, gear trains. drives. the punchactuatingdisc "land the sprocket drum 58 in the synchronous. relation.required for registering the perforationsiormedin thepaper V whichextends tape 46 with the teeth of the sprocket drum 56 when seatedthereon by the roller 55. The gear train for the punch disc 13, startingwith the driving gear '18 consists of gears 19 and 8B. The gear trainfor the sprocket drum 55, again starting with the driving gear 38,consists of gears 8| and 82 on a common shaft and a gear 83?. on theshaft of the sprocket drumllS.

Mounted on the shaft of the gear F9 are two pulleys 8d and 85 fordriving, respectively, through belts and 8? the carbon strip advancing'roller 55 and the two takeup reels 58 and 61.

The main drive shaft 2i is driven through the gear box ll by a pulley 88which is belted to a pulley 89 carried on the shaft of a motor 96.Either the motor til is adjustable in speed or the effective diameter ofthe driving pulley 39 is adjustable for regulating the definition of therecording lengthwise of the paper tape M. This provides flexibility inaccommodating the apparatus to. different-type. fonts. used in printingthe original.

the speed of" the. recording. erally the highest whichcan.b'e...employed consistent with good quality reproduction and willTheiquality of the;-

differ with difierent originals. recording may be;observed asthe tape:M. passes over the inspection plate E'ion its way to the.

takeup reel 58.

I-he speedofithe motor Qlrmay beregulatedin any well known. manner (notshown) to vary 1e speed of. the drive.

byemploying a V-belt-split'pulley 8.9, theeifective diameter ofwhichmay. be closely regulatedwby. Such,

movement of an ar-rnfilabouta pivot" 92:. pulleys adjustacle ineffective diameter. are well known.

While for the purpose of disclosing the inven tion a singleembodiment'hasbeen describedin detail, the..principles.=involved.havebeen made clear enough to venableanyone skilled in thelart' to make theobvious modifications necessaryv to. adapt the invention to otherembodimentswithout departing frornthe scopeofthe appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by.

Letters Patent of the United Statesxis:

1. In ai'acsimile apparatus a scanning cy1inder and-aiprintinghelixmounted on a common. shaft, amotor for driving said shaft at aconstantspeed, rotatable means'ior advancingdiscrete documents to..be.copied:past. the scanning cylinder, sprocket. means for. pulling: a record;receiving; tape. past the printinghelix, a flying-5 punch forperforating said tape as it moves =be.

tween the printing helix and the sprocket means...

a main drive shaft for rotating the-document advancingmeans, motor meansconnected in driv ingrelation to .themain drive shaft, a rotatable.member geared to the main. drive shaft for actuating said punch in timedrelation with thedocumerit-advancing means, and gearing. connected" tothe maindrive; shaft'to. drive the sprocket means. ineXact phaserelation with said punch altering its magnification;

3. A; facsimile recorder including a recording cylinder. and meansunder.the; control of; receivedsignals for. marking a tape moved-over the.cy-lin.-.;

It will be appreciated thatiby: thus; regulating the longitudinal"definition,v the rela-. tive size of the recording is notailectedbutonly This speed'is-gen However, it is; preferred at present to obtainthe. desired speedxvariations 2,571,785 5 6 der, means for drawing aplain tape over the REFERENCES CITED cylinder cqmprising sprocketbetween the The following references are of record in the sprocket andthe cylinder, a flying punch for fil of this patent: perforating thetape consistent with the sprocket.

4. A facsimile recorder in accordance with 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS claim3 wherein a common source of rotary Number Name Date power drives thesprocket and actuates the flying 1,629,466 Angel May 24 1927 punch.2,213,876 Young Sept. 3, 1940 2,279,161 DHumy Apr. '7, 1942 RUSSELL G.THOMPSON. 10 2,391,984 Lake Jan. 1 1946

